Though Perona showed disdain, Denjiro still cast her a grateful glance.
Earlier in the lobby, his nerves had been on edge upon hearing Fleet Admiral Orion order his subordinates to investigate the riots in the Flower Capital.
Regardless of whether they truly knew nothing about it, even if it had been their doing in secret, the samurai loyal to the Kozuki Family would never betray them!
And if the Marines failed to trace the source, some shady individuals might fabricate charges just to complete their mission.
In that case, both he and Yamato would undoubtedly be executed without hesitation by the Fleet Admiral.
To his surprise, the one Orion sent to investigate was this young girl and even more astonishing was her outright declaration that they were uninvolved.
This filled him with gratitude while also shaming him for his earlier petty suspicions.
However, he didn't let his guard down completely.
Instead, he tensely watched the young Fleet Admiral, who sat at his desk reviewing the documents.
Before long, Orion finished reading the report, set it down and looked up at Kozuki Hiyori.
"Though you truly knew nothing about this, those people acted so recklessly precisely because of the Kozuki Family. As long as you live, the remaining samurai loyal to your family will inevitably rise again in the future!"
"More importantly, you're not the only surviving heir of the Kozuki line. Even if I execute you, they'll cling to hope, lurking in the shadows of Wano, waiting for the true young master of the Kozuki Family to return!"
"'Like the Moon, you are ignorant of the Dawn. If there is one ardent wish that must be fufilled, it will be when nine shadows are cast woven together through twenty years of moonlits nights. Only then shall you understand the radiance of Dawn.'?"
"Three of you, it seems there are still matters you haven't fully disclosed."
At these words, Denjiro and Ashura Doji both paled, their heads snapping up to stare at Orion.
Kozuki Hiyori was no exception—upon hearing "nine shadows" her legs nearly gave out beneath her.
"Fleet Admiral Orion!" Denjiro suddenly stepped forward, his voice tinged with agitation.
"That's merely a prophecy—it shouldn't be taken as fact!"
Orion waved his hand dismissively.
"Not a prophecy yes but its still somewhat true. If Toki could travel through time from 800 years ago, then through the power of the Time-Time Fruit, she could just as easily send Kin'emon and the young Kozuki heir into the future."
"Ah, that heir—his name is Kozuki Momonosuke, isn't it?"
As he spoke, Orion rose from his desk and approached Hiyori.
The moment he uttered "Kozuki Momonosuke," Wano's most beautiful woman trembled uncontrollably.
"You hold no secrets from me—not even those yet to appear, like Kozuki Momonosuke and Kin'emon!"
"Of course, I'm not a bloodthirsty executioner. You may continue living in Wano, awaiting their return. But when they do, this land will no longer be Wano—it will be a city under direct Marine jurisdiction."
"No more shogunate. Only a municipal office."
"As for Wano's first mayor—"
Pausing briefly, Orion suddenly turned to the man standing beside his desk.
"Crocodile—how about you take on this responsibility?"
"Huh?"
Crocodile's eyes widened in shock, momentarily unable to process the information.
Orion would hand over the management of Wano Country to him?
"What's wrong?" Orion chuckled. "Unwilling? Weren't you quite fond of this position when you first stepped into this office?"
Hearing this, Crocodile quickly responded.
"I'm willing." Of course, he was willing.
Previously, he had even competed with Sakazuki over who got to handle the paperwork.
Now that Orion was directly entrusting Wano Country to him, how could he possibly pass up this opportunity?
Of course, whether he became the mayor of Wano or not wasn't the main point.
What truly mattered was that he was now the first among the Warlords to receive an appointment from Orion.
Just the trust Orion placed in him was enough to let him hold his head high in front of Mihawk and Doflamingo.
Though, if he knew that Doflamingo had already taken up residence in Mariejois as the Vice-Leader of the God Knights, he probably wouldn't be thinking this way!
"If you're willing, then why are you still standing there?" Orion pointed at the desk.
"Start working now. From this moment onward, you'll be fully responsible for all matters in Wano Country!"
"Now?"
Crocodile glanced at Jinbei and Mihawk, then at Gion who was still standing beside the desk.
Seeing Gion nod at him with a faint smile, he took a deep breath, steeled himself and walked over to the desk, sitting down with some trepidation.
Hmm… this felt right!
Though Orion had restructured Wano from a country into a city, as its first mayor, he was essentially equivalent to a king.
This lofty feeling—it was truly intoxicating!
After silently marveling at it, Crocodile straightened his posture, his aura surging sharply.
His piercing gaze swept over Denjiro, Hiyori, and Ashura Doji as he declared in a deep voice.
"Though Fleet Admiral Orion has allowed you to continue living in Wano, this rebellion was instigated by you. You must take responsibility and accept punishment!"
"As the first mayor of Wano Country, I hereby pronounce the following judgment upon you!"
"First, all assets under your names will be confiscated!"
"Second, you will depart tomorrow to follow the Marines to Onigashima and participate in the construction of the Marine base until its completion!"
"Third, all your subordinates are to be disbanded!"
"Fourth, from this moment onward, Wano abolishes its noble class system. Apart from municipal and local administrative personnel, all others shall be equal—commoners!"
"Fifth…"
At this point, Crocodile's gaze locked onto Denjiro and Hiyori.
"One of you runs a brothel in the Flower Capital and served as Orochi's personal money exchanger, while the other is Wano's famed courtesan. No doubt, you possess extensive information on the so-called noble elites of the Flower Capital. Before you leave for Onigashima, you will hand over a complete list of these nobles and wealthy figures!"
When Crocodile announced the abolition of Wano's noble system and declared universal equality, even Orion couldn't help but turn his head slightly, a flicker of surprise flashing in his eyes.
At this moment, there wasn't a trace of the former pirate's brutality or arrogance in Crocodile.
Instead, he exuded an air of righteous authority, his every gesture making it seem as though he had always been a mayor—not a criminal.
Likewise, Mihawk, Jinbei and Gion never expected Crocodile to have such an honorable side to him.
However, they quickly came to understand it.
It was clear that Crocodile had thoroughly grasped their Fleet Admiral's intentions, knowing exactly what Orion truly wanted.
But none of that mattered!
What truly mattered was their Fleet Admiral's ability to recognize talent and put it to good use.
Just from that brief exchange, they could already sense that Crocodile was a born administrative officer.
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